Magnificent Midnight'S Marvelous Memories: A Loving Relationship Between a Young Woman and Her Therapy Horse
118
Magnificent Midnight'S Marvelous Memories: A Loving Relationship Between a Young Woman and Her Therapy Horse
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781504923811 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 08/25/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 118 |
| File size: | 35 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Magnificent Midnight's Marvelous Memories
A Loving Relationship Between a Young Woman and Her Therapy Horse
By Tally L. Russell, Fletch L. Russell, Carol L. Russell
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2015 Tally L. RussellAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5049-2380-4
CHAPTER 1
My Life Before Tally
Hi, my name is Midnight and I am a spunky Welsh pony. I am 15 years old and love people and treats. I am very excited to share my story and memories, both good and bad with you!
Before moving to my "forever home", I lived on a small farm in Kansas. I was brought there for the family's son. At first I thought we were going to be the best of friends. Wow, was I wrong! The boy continuously picked on me and did not give me the love and attention I deserved and needed to thrive. I felt lonely and unloved. I thought I did something wrong for them to treat me this way. The family's larger horses bullied me, and I was forced to live in a small, confined pen outdoors. While all the other horses slept in a nice, dry, warm barn, I was left outside in the cold, rain, and wind. During that time, especially at night, I imagined myself being in a warm, spacious corral with a nice bed of straw. I pictured having all the sweet carrots and juicy apples I could eat. I dreamt of having my very own human who would genuinely love me, unconditionally. At the age of 15 years (which is not that old for a Welsh Pony), I had been waiting my whole life for my luck to change.
If it were not for the Dream Factory of Kansas City coming to my rescue, I cannot envision what my life would have been like. When I heard the news of a 15 year-old-girl potentially adopting me through the Dream Factory Organization, I was more than delighted. I was excited for the possibility of getting away from this awful and dreadful place. I do believe it is going to happen. Please, please, please get me away from this farm and these big bully horses! Let's get this show on the road, Dream Factory to the rescue!
CHAPTER 2Arriving at the Russell Ranch
Dream Factory Connected Tally and Me
As I was dreaming about getting away from the farm and those big bully horses, I even considered running away and joining the circus! I am sure they can always use ponies, right? I heard the boy's family talk about getting a phone call from an organization called The Dream Factory. From what I understood, The Dream Factory is a non-profit organization that assists in granting dreams to children with critical or chronic illnesses, ages 3-18. I guess Tally's family contacted the Dream Factory in hopes of locating Tally's Dream Therapeutic Horse. I was overjoyed I was chosen to possibly fill this role! Tally used a wheelchair and had participated in therapeutic riding programs since she was 4 years old. I had never heard of, or helped with, therapeutic riding before, but thought, "I am up for the challenge". I wanted to learn anything I could to help Tally successfully ride me. I hoped that I would be gentle enough for her to ride. The Dream Factory sent out a therapeutic horseback riding professional to determine if I was a good fit for Tally's needs. I had to be able to stand still with others around me, not startle easily, and be gentle, kind and patient. I guess I passed the test ~ Tally, here I come!
Meeting Tally
I was excited, but a little apprehensive when it came time for Tally and me to meet muzzle-to-face. One sweltering summer evening her family drove up and I saw her being slowly lowered to the ground on a wheelchair lift from her van. I saw Tally anxiously rolling towards me in a big black power wheelchair. As she and her family inched closer to my pen, I became a little hesitant and nervously stepped backwards. Then after a few minutes I slowly approached her. Our eyes met and Tally smiled and let out a soft giggle. I enjoyed having a human at eye level with me, and this was effortless and natural with Tally in her wheelchair. I thought maybe for once in my life; I could learn to trust someone. I discovered Tally was really kind and gentle. I could sense by her loving nature and compassionate attitude, that she would be a noble riding companion. The rest is history.
She Chose ME!
After our first little meeting, I found out that Tally chose me! For once in my life, I mattered ~ I was loved! Yeeeee-haw! Although feeling slightly uneasy, I was SO ready to get out of this awful place and begin my new life in Emporia, Kansas.
One windy, sunny morning about a week later, a large silver truck with a big red horse trailer sped up the driveway. Out of the truck jumped the same, kind woman who had come with Tally the week before. She was the one who had evaluated me to see if I was a good fit as a companion and therapeutic riding horse for Tally. I believe she had come to escort me to my new home. Turns out I was right! I was so excited to get out of there that I sprang into the trailer!
As I stood in the trailer watching cars and fields go by, I could not help but ponder what this new adventure was going to be, or what my new home would be like. As we made our way closer to Emporia, I discovered lots of wide-open fields and thought, "I could get used to this!" Once we arrived in the Russell's driveway, I saw Tally and her family eagerly waiting for us. As the nice woman opened the back of the trailer, I felt a sense of nervousness rush over me. Thinking back to my previous home, and how the bigger horses teased me and nipped my fur, I hoped this experience would be better. I looked around in all directions to be sure there were no other horses. Based on my prior situation of being bullied, I was cautious and wondered if there was any good reason for me to emerge from my temporary safe place, this horse trailer. I decided I was not going to get out right away, and no one was going to convince me otherwise! I appreciated them not forcing me out of the trailer right away. However, after a little coaxing and seeing familiar faces of Tally and her family, along with a few treats, I figured I might as well leave the trailer. I saw Tally in a bright pink outfit, beaming from ear to ear. I knew right at that moment, looking at her and their wide-open fields, that my life was going to change for the better.
My Heart-felt Welcome to My Forever Home
Tally chose to make her 16 birthday celebration a "Midnight Welcome Home Party". I could not believe the crowd of people who came to celebrate with us! Tally wrote a speech for the occasion and even though I had been a part of her family for a few brief months, I was very happy to now be a part of her family, and her wonderful celebration. Here is what I heard her say:
Tally's Sixteenth Birthday Speech
October 5, 2003
First of all, I want to thank all of you who were able to be here to help me celebrate my 16th birthday! It really means a lot to me. Most teenagers wish for a car for their sixteenth birthday, well, my wish for my birthday was a little more unique; I wanted a horse. I have wanted a horse ever since I participated in a therapeutic horseback riding program called Handi-Riders in South Dakota when I was 5 years old. Every Christmas and Birthday since then, a horse was the very first thing on top of all of those lists.
Finally, after moving to Emporia in 1996we found therapeutic riding programs in Topeka and Ottawa, KS for riding lessons. We drove back and forth, it was a pain to drive, but it was something I always enjoyed, no matter how hard the work was or how long it took us to get there. We then moved into our new accessible home in 1999 out in the country. Finally the possibility of getting a horse of my own sprang into view.
We started planning where a horse could live and my parents decided to contact the Dream Factory in December of2002. It was a great surprise when the Dream Factory finally contacted us and told me that they would work hard to find the horse I always wanted. It took 6 long anxious anticipated months and numerous phone calls back and forth from Emporia to Kansas City and finally on July 21 we went to Princeton, Kansas to check out a little Welsh pony named Midnight, located by my Dream Factory Coordinator. I was thrilled beyond belief when we went to meet Midnight's owners and was even more excited when I finally got to meet Midnight. The moment I saw her I did not know what to think. She was small but that did not bother me one bit. After staring at her in awe, I was hoisted onto her for a free ride and after that I knew she was the one for me. The minute we arrived home I said, "Mom, she's the one, she was not exactly how I pictured her, but she is the one". Then we called her owners and said, "lets go for it!" We made plans for Midnight to be brought to our house on July 31st. Boy, I could hardly wait for that day. Finally after 10 long days the day had come. It was a very windy day. When the horse trailer entered our driveway my excitement mounted and I could hardly stand it. When the woman who found Midnight got out of her truck and walked to the back of the trailer and coaxed Midnight out, I could not stop thinking "Wow my dream has finally come true!"
Getting Midnight was only one of the many wonderful events that we celebrated over the past year and there were many others: The birth of my Goddaughter Rylee, Mikelle's (my sister) graduation from high school, Jon and Nicki's (my cousins') wedding, and my parents 28th wedding anniversary. I can hardly wait to celebrate more family celebrations with Midnight.
Midnight has brought me so much happiness even though she has not been in our family very long, but she is definitely the best thing that has ever happened to me. As most of you know I am into writing stories and about two years ago I wrote a story about my experience with therapeutic horseback riding and the name I chose for the horse in the story was named Midnight. When I found out that Midnight was her name I just thought, "She was definitely meant to be mine and it was fate that brought us together".
My parents are the most wonderful and supportive people. Every time I asked, "Can I get a horse?" their reply was always "We will work on it", I knew one day they would. One thing my parents taught me was to follow my dreams, and never give up on pursuing those dreams, and that is just what I did. After all that I have endured I do not know how I got through any of this without them.
My sisters are my best friends. We have accomplished a lot together. They both have been supportive and have gone to doctor appointments, therapies and school meetings with me. They work hard to include me in whatever they are doing and I know they will always be there for me in whatever I do.
I could not be happier that everyone here was able to come and you all mean a lot to me! Thanks for helping me celebrate my special day! Here's to me turning 16!
One day Tally decided my corral wall needed a little personalized and artistic touch. She and her sister, Mikelle, decided to paint a portrait of me on the side of the barn, with a deep purple background. They added a bright yellow crescent moon and some sparkly, silver stars. Painting my name, "MIDNIGHT", in huge light blue letters at the top, brought it all together. I thought they were very talented and it looked fantastic when it was finished. I knew now that this was my corral and felt extremely and unconditionally loved. I also appreciated that my Tally and her family did such a wonderful thing to make me feel like a member of the family. I loved looking at the mural every time I would get out of my corral.
In celebration of my being initiated into the Russell family, Tally's mom and dad bought her a set of ceramic horse dinnerware. The night I arrived at the Russell Ranch, Tally's family ate off these special dishes to celebrate my homecoming. I only wished that I could have eaten off them too!
Tally never forgot our July 31 homecoming anniversary. Each year on this special day, Tally made sure everyone remembered this was the day I became a Russell. She would bring me an apple or carrot to munch on at exactly 3:11 PM. I remembered the time well; as this was the exact moment I emerged from that horse trailer and realized I was going to start my new life out on the Russell Ranch. I only remember an occasional time, due to Tally's family vacations, that I did not see her on this annual date. Tally would then celebrate with me at a different time, so that I knew she was still thinking of my homecoming anniversary. I felt incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful caring human, and would not trade this life for anything in the world!
CHAPTER 3Tally Shares a Story About Her Dream of Owning a Horse
One day my Tally told me about a story she had written before she met me, even before she had been granted me as her dream from The Dream Factory. The story was titled: One Special Relationship. It was about a girl and a horse. The horse in the story was also named Midnight! The crazy part is that I already had the name Midnight before Tally had written this story, and remarkably, before she even met me! It was like a foreshadowing of what was yet to come. Since my name was already Midnight before I even met Tally, the fact that she had written about a young girl named "Talia" owning a pony named Midnight three years before, just seemed to be fate. We were meant to be "sole-mates"!
One Special Relationship
By Tally Russell
Talia had always wanted a horse to call her own. Talia was born with a disability called Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida caused the muscles in Talia's legs to become weak and because of that she is unable to walk, so she uses a wheelchair to get around. One day Talia was hanging out after school with her friend, Amy. They were sitting outside looking at the mail they had just picked up. Talia was thumbing through the pages of the newspaper, when she turned to an ad about therapeutic horseback riding. As Talia read the ad her eyes became wide with excitement. After she finished reading the article she showed it to Amy. She then rolled up the ramp into her house and went inside, with Amy following close behind. Amy had barely gotten to read what Talia had showed to her. She was totally perplexed as to what had gotten Talia so excited. When Talia finally showed the ad to Amy, Amy finally understood why Talia had gotten so excited in the first place.
Once Talia's mom and dad had read the article they looked at each other. Both her mom and dad instantly got smiles on their faces and said they would need time to discuss the possibility. Later that evening after Amy had left and Talia and her mom and dad and two sisters were sitting around the dinner table together they talked about possibly calling the program to see if it would be a good fit for Talia. Talia's sisters wanted to be a part of the program too so their mom said she was going to ask if they could also enroll in lessons.
Talia went to bed that night so excited for the possibility of getting to ride horses. She had always loved horses but had never gotten the chance to ride. Having the opportunity to do an activity just like her sisters was a dream come true for Talia.
The next morning Talia's mom called the Therapeutic Riding program. Talia sat there with a huge smile on her face and could barely sit still as her mom talked with the director. Once her mom got off the phone she told Talia that she made an appointment to check out the program to see if it was suitable for Talia's needs.
Then the following morning the family all piled into the car and rode to the location of the program. When they arrived they all got out of the car and went into the large event arena where the horses were kept. They met the young woman who was in charge of the program. Talia and her family were all smiles as the director took them on a tour of the arena. She showed Talia and her family the different pieces of equipment they used with children with varying types of disabilities. After three and a half hours of talking and checking out the facilities Talia's parents were both in agreement that Talia could try lessons here. The director gave Talia's parents the necessary paperwork to fill out.
Once Talia and her family were back home, Talia's mom got on the phone to make an appointment with Talia's physician. Talia's parents wanted to make sure that she was physically fit and that it was safe enough for her to be able to ride. The next day Talia's mom took her to the doctor's office for a physical. The doctor cleared Talia and said that she was in good shape and that it would be great exercise for her to try horseback riding. A week later Talia arrived back at the stables, ready and eager to start her first lesson. Talia was sitting tall in her wheelchair as she strapped on her new purple riding helmet.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Magnificent Midnight's Marvelous Memories by Tally L. Russell, Fletch L. Russell, Carol L. Russell. Copyright © 2015 Tally L. Russell. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Acknowledgements, v,Author's Notes, vi,
PART 1: My Journey to - and Marvelous Memories of - my Forever Home,
Chapter 1: My Life Before Tally, 1,
Chapter 2: Arriving at the Russell Ranch, 3,
Chapter 3: Tally Shares a Story About Her Dream of Owning a Horse, 13,
Chapter 4: Giving Tally Rides, My Most Important Job, 17,
Chapter 5: Tally's and My Family and Friends, 29,
Chapter 6: More Marvelous Memories, 41,
Chapter 7: Supporting Tally, 49,
Part 2: Tally Keeps My Legacy Alive ...,
Introduction: Reflections from Tally, 63,
Chapter 8: The Grieving Process ~ Working Through My Loss, 65,
Chapter 9: Midnight's Memorial Place, 73,
Chapter 10: Continuing My Healing Journey, 93,
Appendix A: Information on the Dream Factory, 97,
Appendix B: History of Therapeutic Horseback Riding, 99,
Appendix C: Glossary of Horse and Therapeutic Horseback Riding Terms, 101,